1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to apparatuses and methods for image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information relating to the transparency and color tones of images is useful for expressing the images. Especially in the case where more than two images are overlapped on one screen, transparency information is important for proper image expression. There are many known image coding/decoding formats that do not support the processing of image transparency. Examples of such formats include the Joint Photographic Experts Group format (JPEG), which is the most widely used image coding/decoding standard, and the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF).
Other standards and specifications have been suggested to supplement JPEG, but JPEG is still the most widely used image coding/decoding technology. Hence, there is a need for a technology based on the conventional JPEG format that can process image transparencies.